Washburn County, Wisconsin Building Permit Guide

Washburn County’s Zoning Department, in the lower level of the Courthouse at 10 Fourth Avenue, Shell Lake (715-468-4690), requires a land use permit before any building or structure is erected, moved or structurally altered wherever county zoning applies: on all shoreland and in the 18 of 21 towns that adopted the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance. A new home’s permit is $300 under the June 1, 2025 fee schedule, a conventional septic permit $325, and starting without a permit adds $1,000. The town’s UDC inspector issues the building permit.

What needs a permit in Washburn County?

Where county zoning applies, the rule is broad: a land use (zoning) permit comes before any building or structure is erected, moved or structurally altered, and every structure, permanent or portable and of any size, must meet the setbacks. Shoreland zoning covers all unincorporated land within 1,000 feet of a navigable lake or pond or 300 feet of a navigable river, stream or creek; outside the shoreland, the Zoning Department will say whether the parcel lies in one of the towns under county zoning.

A sanitary permit is required before any private septic system, including a privy, is installed or repaired, and the county may not issue a zoning permit for a building that needs a septic system until the existing system meets the rules or the needed permits are obtained.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The County Board adopted its first zoning ordinance in 1968 and replaced it in 1978; today the zoning code is Article IV of Chapter 38 of the county code, with the shoreland rules in Division 27 and land division in Chapter 62. The county also has its own boathouse, camper and guest cabin and bunkhouse ordinances. The construction rules for one- and two-family homes are the state’s Uniform Dwelling Code, enforced by the towns, villages and cities; the county land use form reminds owners that its permit does not replace UDC inspections, and commercial buildings go through state plan approval.

Washburn County building department: who handles permitting

The Zoning Department, led by Zoning Administrator Trisha Saletri, has a sanitary specialist and an administrative assistant, and takes payment by check or cash only. Its forms cover conditional uses, rezonings, variances, cell towers and appeals to the Board of Adjustment or the zoning committee.

Towns, villages and cities: who inspects new homes

The state’s list of Uniform Dwelling Code delegations, current as of September 24, 2026, has no County of Washburn entry and shows a delegation for every town, both cities and both villages. The county posts its own list of the inspection company serving each town. Populations are Census 2025 estimates.

Washburn County permit types and application documents

The Land Use Permit Application asks for the owner, the fire number and road, the project, its size, use, number of bedrooms, approximate cost and start date, the lot size, the setback from the ordinary high-water mark and the structure height, with a fee checklist on the back. A permit is returned if the plot plan is incomplete. The plot plan shows existing and proposed buildings with distances to the road centerline or right of way, lot lines and the water, the well and septic locations and north.

Residential permits

Waterfront lots get an on-site visit before any land use permit issues, and the department aims to issue within 20 working days of receiving the application. Shoreland setbacks are 75 feet from the ordinary high-water mark of navigable waters, 25 feet from a wetland and 10 feet from drainage ways and non-navigable intermittent streams, with 10-foot side and 40-foot rear setbacks; some permits require restoring the shoreline buffer as mitigation, and owners are responsible for meeting the impervious surface standards. Zoning districts set minimum lot sizes from 20,000 square feet (Residential, Residential Mobile, Residential Recreational 1 and Commercial, 100 feet wide) to 20 acres (Agricultural and Forestry, 400 feet wide).

Building or remodeling a home here? Alliance handles home building permits, so the crew isn't waiting on the counter.

Commercial permits

A commercial or industrial building is a $500 land use permit and an addition to one $400, and a change of use $550. Cell towers ($3,000 for a new tower or Class 1 collocation) have their own application, and conditional uses, variances and rezonings go to public hearings. State plan approval and the local building permit are separate.

For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial permit filing through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.

What comes before the building permit

• Lot creation. A certified survey map for up to eight parcels of 9 acres or less within five years; a county plat for nine or more; a state plat for five or more parcels of 1.5 acres or less.
• Soil evaluation. By a certified soil tester; the county recommends one before buying land to build on.
• Sanitary permit. Filed by a licensed master plumber.
• Floodplain determination. Made before a zoning permit; a FEMA Letter of Map Amendment does not always take a building out of the floodplain for zoning.
• Fire number. From the Land Information Office; a sign can take three months.
• Driveway. A county highway permit where the drive meets a county road, and town permits where towns require them.

Washburn County zoning and sanitary fees

The Zoning Division Fee Schedule dated June 1, 2025 sets these amounts; checks are payable to Washburn County Zoning. Hearing fees are not refundable and are doubled for an after-the-fact hearing.

For a new house on a conventional septic system the county charges come to $675: $300 for the dwelling land use permit, $325 for the sanitary permit and $50 to review and file the soil test. Septic work begun without a permit adds another $1,000, as does construction. The town’s UDC permit is a separate fee.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Washburn County’s trades role is the septic system. State law, as the county’s pamphlet explains, requires a Wisconsin licensed master plumber to install or repair any private septic system except a privy; the owner takes the soil results and site plans to that plumber, who completes the forms and obtains the sanitary permit. Sanitary permits are good for two years and can be renewed or transferred before they expire, except some plans that need state approval.

• Privies. Need a sanitary permit; a pit privy also needs a one-boring soil test showing suitable soil at least three feet below the pit, an affidavit recorded with the deed that the building has no interior plumbing, and a setback of 100 feet from a neighbor’s home or 75 feet from the side lot line.
• House trades. The county issues no wiring, plumbing or HVAC permits. Its zoning page says the town-hired UDC inspector issues the building permit, checks that the county permits are in hand and the builders are licensed, and inspects to the state construction standards.
• Builders. The pamphlet makes the owner and the contractor jointly responsible for permits; a contractor building a one- or two-family home also needs the state Dwelling Contractor certification and a certified Dwelling Contractor Qualifier, and an owner-occupant is exempt.

The pamphlet’s minimum distances guide the plumber’s layout: a septic tank at least 25 feet from a well or navigable water, 15 feet from a pool, 5 feet from a building and 2 feet from a property line; the disposal field 50 feet from a well or the water, 10 feet from a building and 5 feet from a property line, and never on a slope over 25%. The department posts lists of licensed septic plumbers, certified soil testers, septic pumpers, surveyors and floodplain consultants.

How to apply for Washburn County permits

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The county aims to issue land use permits within 20 working days, after the on-site visit on waterfront lots. An incomplete plot plan sends the application back. Floodplain sites may need the regional flood elevation determined in the field, and structures closer than the setbacks need a variance hearing ($600), so call the Zoning Office before designing around a tight lot.

Inspections in Washburn County

County staff visit waterfront sites before issuing land use permits and inspect septic installations; a return inspection costs $125 and a same-day inspection $50. Footing, framing and final inspections of a house, and any occupancy approval, come from the town’s UDC inspector; the county form requires the owner or contractor to contact that inspector and have the land use permit on the premises before any digging or construction.

No work on a structure or septic system may start until the proper permit has been issued and posted, and work without one is a violation of the zoning ordinance that can bring citations. The county’s schedule of deposits for zoning citations is posted with the department’s guidelines.

For a septic system already in use, the department recommends pumping the tank every three years or as needed, when it is a third full of scum and sludge.

Wisconsin building code

FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Washburn County (community 550606) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with a current effective flood map dated October 2, 2012; the county’s floodplain regulations apply to all bodies of water in the county.

Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code covers one- and two-family homes. Its Commercial Building Code covers public buildings, workplaces and buildings of three or more units. Local ordinances must conform to both. Wisconsin rules

Washburn County permit search and official resources

Septic service histories are searchable in the public Carmody septic database linked from the zoning page; for land use permit records or copies, contact the Zoning Department at 715-468-4690 or zoning@co.washburn.wi.us. Town building permit records stay with the town and its inspector.

• Washburn County Zoning Department
• Zoning Division fee schedule (June 1, 2025)
• Land use permit application
• Guidelines for buyers and builders (zoning pamphlet)
• Zoning districts and dimensions
• Sanitary permit application
• POWTS connection or reconnection application
• Privy information
• Conditional use application
• Variance application
• Sanitary maintenance requirements
• UDC inspectors by town
• Washburn County Code of Ordinances
• DSPS list of UDC delegated agents
• FEMA Community Status Book, Wisconsin

Washburn County permit FAQ

Does Washburn County issue building permits?

No. It issues land use and sanitary permits; each town’s UDC inspector issues the building permit.

Is my property under county zoning?

All shoreland is, and so is the rest of the 18 towns that adopted the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance; the Zoning Office can tell you for your parcel.

Do I need a permit for a small shed?

Not under 65 square feet, though it must still meet the setbacks; larger accessory buildings are $250.

How much is a land use permit for a new house?

$300 for a dwelling or the first structure on the property.

What if I start building first?

$1,000 is added to the normal permit fee, and citations may follow.

How far from the lake must I build?

75 feet from the ordinary high-water mark of navigable waters and 25 feet from a wetland.

How wide must my driveway be?

20 feet, clear to 15 feet high, with a 20-by-40-foot turnaround within 100 feet of the building; 33 feet if it serves more than two homes.

Can I pay by card?

No. The Zoning Department takes only checks or cash.

Simplify Washburn County permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Wisconsin. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Washburn County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.